Contact device for electric railways



Patented Aug. 30, I898.

L. E. WALKINS. CONTACT DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC BAILWAYS.

(Application filed Jan. 24, 1898.)

(No Model.)

State of Massachusetts, have invented certain' ll'ivrrnn E rarns PATENT: Oriana,

LOUIS E. XVALKINS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSAOIIUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO THIRDS TO FRANOKENV, DICKINSON, OF SAME PLACE, AND GEORGE M. JEVVETT, OF GLENVILLE, MARYLlAjND.

CONTACT IDEVIICE Fo ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,007, dated August so, 1898.

Application filed January 24,1898. Serial No-'66'7,712. (No model.)

T0 at whom it ma concern:

Be it known that 1, Louis E. WALKiNs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Springfield,"in the countyof Hampden and new and useful Improvements in Running Contact Devices for Electric-RailwayCars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to running contact devices or underrunning shoes or trolleys for electric-railway cars operatingon railway systems embodying the third-rail conductor for the current, such conductor being utilized for conveying the feed-current, or the returncurrent, or both.

The present invention more particularly relates toa depending contact device comprising a shoe or trolley. adapted to bear against the side of a longitudinally-runningconductor, as the third rail of an electric railway, and to means whereby the shoe itself is properly supported and presented and capable of lateral yielding motion within slight limits to accord with unevenness of the third rail and to vibrations of the car or truck.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of the shoe or trolley device and the conductor on whichthe shoe has contact. Fig. 2is a side elevation of the same.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

In the drawings, A represents the third-rail conductor,havin g the sidewise longitudinallyranging and oppositely-disposed "continuous rib-like portions Ct at, on the outer side faces of which the shoe or shoes I) are to have running contact, a pair of these COIItaClJSlIOGS being shown in Fig. 1 at opposite sides.

The shoe or trolley device in which the present novelty resides will be now described in detail.

B represents the shoe-supportin g frame, being a generally rectangular structure, preferably spring-supported horizontally below the truck or car-body, the same supporting the central horizontal transverse j ournal-shaft d, on which the steadying-wheel f is centrally journaled, this wheel running on the top of I the third rail A. The said shoe-supporting the shoe proper,intlie form of a horizontal longitudinally-ranging beam, being formed on or attached to said pendent bars. It will be perceived that this construction permits a lateral motion to the shoe-beam 19, whereby it mayalways conform, yielding outwardly on being pressed inwardly, to any unevenness or irregularity in the face of thesidewise-ex tended contact member a.

Each of the outer bars 10 of the shoe-supporting frame is provided with an oblique downwardly and inwardly extended socket 16, in which is entered the upper extremity of the rod g, the lowerend of this rod having substantially a pivotal connection with the beam-shoe, preferably intermediately between the ends thereof, one of these rods for each beam being provided, and each said rod gis provided at a suitablylow point thereon with a fixed shoulder or flange 17, against shoe-supporting frame.

As shown in the drawings, I have provided a centrally-apertured metallic bushing for bearin g against the lowerportion of the beam 10,the rod gplaying loosely through the same, and this part 18 directly receives the end thrust in compression of the spring. This is to be regarded as a wear-block. go

As shown in .Fig. 2, the shoe-supporting frame has the endwise-extending and upwardly-bowed members j, provided at their extremities with sockets or eyes 20, whereby they embrace, to be supported thereby, the axles O O for the car-wheels of the truck. The said bowed or upwardly-extended membersj are preferably articulated by pivotal joints, as indicated at 22, to the longitudinal beams of the shoc -supporting frame, and. Ice

springs 23 23 are interposed between the upper side of the shoe-supporting frame and the bottom of the car-body, being in number and disposition such as to serve as a cushion for the frame, keeping the steadying-wheel or traveler f thereof always firmly in contact on the upper tread side of the third rail, and yet permitting the shoe-supporting frame, with its supported appliances, to yield or give in an upward direction to accord with any irregularities in the generally even or continuous third-rail conductor.

The underrunning contact-shoe shown duplicated and in bearing on contact portions at opposite sides of the third rail is advantageous in many instances where this invention is available, because one of the side members a may be utilized for the feed-current while the other may be made to serve as the return-conductor, and one of the shoes is understood as being in electrical connection with and going to the motor on the car for which these devices are provided, while the other shoe is to be understood as being in electrical connection with a conductor returning thereto from the motor.

It is to be noted that I do not desire to limit myself to any particular construction or design of the shoe-supporting frame or to any particular arrangement of beams or braces of which it is composed.

I claim- 1. The combination with the axles of electric-railway cars, of a shoe-supporting frame having suspension-supports from said axles, and comprising the articulated supporting member, springs interposed between the top of the frame and a portion of the car or its truck thereabove, a wheel cent-rally carried by the frame and adapted to run on the top of the third-rail conductor, and a shoe having a depending support from the frame and adapted to bear yieldingly against a sidewise portion of the third rail, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the shoe-supporting frame B comprising longitudinally-extending beams or members, and provided centrally between its sides with a wheel adapted to run on the top of the third-rail conductor, of a shoe pivotally secured to, and dependent below one of said longitudinal frame members, a rod having a slide engagement obliquely in a socket therefor which is provided in a portion of said supporting-frame, and connected to the shoe, and a spring surround: ing said rod, having its one end resisted by the supporting-frame and exerting a downward and inward stress longitudinally against said rod, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a third-rail conductor having opposite longitudinally-ranging contact portions a a, of a shoe-supporting frame to be mounted under an electric car having a centrally-disposed wheel adapted to run on the top of the third-rail conductor, and provided with the ear-lugs 13, 13, the paired bars 15 pivoted to, and depending below said ear-lugs, the beam-shoes horizontally and longitudinally supported at the lower portions of said bars 15, 15, and adapted to have sidewise on said opposite rail contact members, the shouldered rods 9 having a guiding engagement obliquely downwardly, inwardly in sockets 16 therefor which are provided in the shoe-supporting frame and the spiral springs surrounding said rods, the upper ends thereof being resisted by the frame, and they by their lower ends being in bearing against the shoulders of said. rods, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 17th day of September, 1897.

LOUISE. WALKINS.

WVitnesses:

WM. S. BELLows, M. A. CAMPBELL. 

